The last time a full-strength Indian cricket team went to the United States, on their way back from the Caribbean in May 1989, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) banned six of the players. Dilip Vengsarkar was captain, and Kapil Dev, Mohammed Azharuddin and Ravi Shastri had also led, or would lead, India.
West Indies had thrashed India 3-0 in the Tests and 5-0 in the ODIs, and 14 men still licking their wounds flew north to play exhibition matches against teams from Pakistan and West Indies. The board, not consulted before the endeavour, was not amused.
On their return, the four seniors, along with experienced opener Arun Lal and wicketkeeper Kiran More were given one-year bans that prevented them from even playing domestic cricket. Six others, including Sanjay Manjrekar, who had scored a Test hundred against that mighty West Indies side, escaped with a fine on account of being relatively new to the international scene. Arshad Ayub and Chetan Sharma were merely warned.
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